Melanie David | The News
DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — Two candidates announced their campaigns for mayor of Denham Springs on the same day this week, ahead of this fall’s municipal election.
John Cavalier, co-owner of Cavalier House Books, and Denham Springs City Councilman Jim Gilbert both announced their candidacies on Saturday, April 25.
Cavalier, a 2002 graduate of Denham Springs High School, holds a degree in political science from Southeastern Louisiana University. He and his wife, Michelle, opened Cavalier House Books in the city’s Antique Village in 2009 and launched the Looziana Book Company, a wholesale and distribution business for local and regional titles, in 2018. He currently serves on the Denham Springs Planning and Zoning Commission and the Denham Springs Historic Commission and volunteered with Denham Strong following the August 2016 flood.
Gilbert, a longtime Denham Springs resident and a graduate of Denham Springs High School, was elected to the City Council in 2022. He worked in the petrochemical industry for more than three decades, primarily with ExxonMobil, where he served as an electrical subject-matter expert. He previously served as a firefighter with Livingston Parish Fire Protection District No. 5 and as chairman of the district’s Board of Commissioners.
The mayor’s seat is currently held by Gerard Landry. The position is full-time, carries a four-year term, and oversees approximately 180 city employees and a consolidated budget of more than $20 million.
Formal candidate qualifying will take place July 29 through 31. Early voting runs October 20 through 27, with Election Day on November 3.
LPN will publish individual candidate profiles as the race progresses.
Source: The Livingston Parish News
